Everything
by Hopeful Romantic
Summary: Yet another little ficlit of fluff about J&A. John invites Aeryn to a picnic on the Terrace right before the end with the Scarrans.


**Disclaimer: **"see previous"

"Everything;" Lifehouse: Smallville; 2002.

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_Everything_**

_Find me here. Speak to me. I want to feel you. I need to hear you. You are the light that's leading me to the place where I find peace again. You are the strength that keeps me walking. You are the hope that keeps me trusting. You are the life to my soul. You are my purpose. You're everything_

_And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

_You calm the storms and you give me rest. You hold me in your hands. You won't let me fall. You still my heart and you take my breath away. Would you take me in? Take me deeper now_

_And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

_And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

_'Cause you're all I want. You're all I need. You're everything, everything_

_You're all I want. You're all I need. You're everything, everything._

_You're all I want. You're all I need. You're everything, everything_

_You're all I want. You're all I need. You're everything, everything_

_And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

_And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this; any better than this_

_And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

_Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?  


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_

_Anxiously, John took_ one more look over his careful preparations before he knelt down next to 1812. The little DRD held out his arm, and John gently placed the red rose-like flower he had pilfered from Noranti's stores in its open claw.

"Go get her boy," he said, patting the small DRD like a pet.

With a light chirp, 1812 set out upon its assigned task by beginning to play its overture.

"Quietly," John directed, smiling.

The DRD stopped its tune with a mournful little chirp, but otherwise remained silent as it sped out the door.

Once 1812 was gone, John began to pace beneath the stars that seemed to fill the open space of the Terrace. Occasionally, he would glance upwards to catch a glimpse of the brightest star. Each time, he smiled at the dizzying sensation that it evoked, his breath catching at the thought of Aeryn. His pulse began to race and he was certain that she would hear his heartbeat, even across the whole ship.

"Whoa, Johnny boy, have you got it bad," he whispered wryly to himself as he looked over his preparations once more.

Everything was in place. John had spread a picnic size red and black blanket on the warm floor of the Terrace. And on that blanket was, indeed, an intimate picnic of fruit and bread, and a tangy drink that tasted a little like wine, but contained no alcohol. He had even managed to obtain Aeryn's favorite fruit; sweet strawberry like berries that glistened invitingly in the reflected light.

John had also scrounged up a couple of soft scented candles and these glowed invitingly, warm in the cooler glow of the starlight. He had scattered more of the red rose-like petals about, and these added their own subtle fragrance to the rich air. And using some of his precious store of batteries, light music played from John's tape recorder, so the soft strain of violins whispered quietly through the Terrace as well.

"Real bad," he said lightly as he looked over the scene that he had to admit looked like it had come straight out of a sappy old romance movie. He chuckled wryly, no one could ever accuse John Crichton of not being a hopeless romantic.

"John?"

He looked up quickly to see Aeryn standing in the doorway, a slightly bemused expression on her face and the red flower in her hands.

The sight of her standing there captured his every thought, and John felt his breath catch. His eyes traced every leather encased curve and every slender line of her body. His fingers ached to run through her soft raven hair and caress her cheek with his fingertips. He longed to explore each plane and curve of her body and map it out with his love. More than that, he wanted to spend every night with her, and wake every morning with her by his side. He wanted everything. He simply wanted Aeryn Sun.

"_Oh, Johnny boy," _he thought, _"you've got it so bad."_

Aeryn continued to stand where she was until John finally greeted her with, "Hey, Baby."

"What's all this?" She asked carefully, making her way over to him and the intimate picnic as the Terrace door closed behind her.

"This, Aeryn, is a picnic."

"A picnic?" she asked, her voice caught somewhere between amusement and quiet confusion.

"Trust me, Baby. You'll like it," John assured her, and indicated that Aeryn should sit while he poured her a glass of the tangy drink. She set the flower down on the blanket and took the glass that he handed her. Aeryn sipped the drink carefully, her face open, but dubious as John sat beside her.

John took a sip of his own drink and smiled brightly at her.

"Come on Aeryn, indulge me a little here," he encouraged her.

Aeryn smiled in return, and shook her head slightly in amusement. She plucked up a small strawberry-like fruit from the plate and took a bite.

"Are you going to eat, John, or just sit there watching me?" Aeryn asked lightly when she noticed that he had made no move to join her in eating something.

John smiled, chagrined, but still made no move to eat anything. So Aeryn reached for another piece of fruit and rolled it delicately in her fingertips, her expression thoughtful. Then she placed the berry gently against John's lower lip, tantalizing him by rolling it slowly across it. When he opened his lips slightly, she slipped the piece of fruit into his mouth. Mischievously, he nipped tenderly at her fingers, eliciting a rare laugh from the former Peacekeeper.

"Mmm," he said, his voice low, and playfully seductive.

Aeryn shivered lightly, causing John to chuckle softly in response, pleased by her reaction. He reached for a piece of fruit and brought it to Aeryn's lips, mimicking her actions. As he slipped the sweet fruit into her mouth, Aeryn sucked on his fingers gently, eliciting a low moan from John and another precious laugh from her.

Gently, he pulled away. "I have something for you, Aeryn."

John leaned over to the wicker picnic basket and reached inside to pull out a small wrapped box. He grinned self consciously, "I, um, got this…"

Aeryn waited patiently for him to continue.

Nervously, John spoke. "I, umm…There was this little commerce planet. I saw this, and I thought of you."

"Not that I wasn't always thinking of you," he said quietly and sincerely.

He took a deep breath, "Anyway, I've wanted to give this to you…before…"

He took another deep breath and looked down to the white wrapped box in his hands. "It was just…there was the Carrier, and then you were gone, and then…"

Aeryn reached over to softly touch John's cheek, her fingers feather light. John looked up into her ocean blue eyes and felt his heart still and his breath catch. He spoke softly and impulsively, "Oh, God, you're so beautiful."

She smiled tenderly and John reached up with his free hand to run it lovingly through her long raven hair. "So beautiful," he repeated, his voice full of tender awe and passion.

Then, with a charming smile, he pulled back slightly and placed the small wrapped box in Aeryn's hand.

"Open it," John said quietly.

Aeryn looked down at the small package for a moment before carefully beginning to unwrap it. As she did so, John watched, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"I hope you like it," he said, giving her a lop-sided smile as she removed a small crystalline bottle from the box.

Aeryn set the box aside and slowly turned the delicate bottle in her hands. It was no bigger than her hand, with a slender and subtly curving shape. The body of the vessel was an opalescent blue in color, and muted golden vines and exotic flowers were traced across the surface. It was closed with an elegant stopper in the form of a slow spiraling blue and gold shape. Inside, a warm amber liquid picked up the light of the candles so that it glowed softly.

Gently, Aeryn removed the stopper and brought the bottle to her nose to inhale the subtle scent. Her smile was lightly teasing as she asked, "Are you sure that this is for _me_ to like?"

"You don't like that I like it?" John replied, his voice amused and teasing as well.

"I like it, John," she said softly as she looked into his deep blue eyes. "And I like that you like it," she told him sincerely.

"Aeryn," John whispered, his heart in his voice.

He suddenly found himself breathless, so John simply brought his lips to Aeryn's. He captured her mouth in the gentle caress, breathing in their shared desire.

Their kiss was almost tentative at first, light and whisper soft. It didn't long remain so. But though he ached for her, John unexpectedly found himself hesitant.

He pulled himself away gently.

The beautiful Sebacean reached out to lay her hand tenderly on John's cheek, a question in her blue gray eyes.

"Aeryn, I…" he tried to answer her unspoken question. "Oh God, Aeryn…" he said brokenly.

Quietly, John rose from where he sat next to her. He stood holding his hands loose by his sides as he looked up to the stars. Aeryn lifted herself from the blanket and moved to stand next to him.

"That star's yours you know," John said finally, his voice deep with some unnamed emotion. "Forever," he whispered, and Aeryn knew that he was referring to more than just the star. "And when I…when you were taken…there was always your star. I used to come here and look for your star."

She moved to stand before him, and irresistibly, John looked into her loving eyes.

She reached both hands up to pull him into a kiss.

When they finally broke the caress, Aeryn rested her forehead lightly on John's. "It's always been you John."

She looked deeply into his warm blue eyes. "From the moment I first met you. It's always been you. Just you. And I knew," she said, "I knew that you would come for me."

"Aeryn, I love you. You are the life to my soul."

"Kiss me," she replied softly.

With infinite tenderness, John brushed Aeryn's lips with his own, in a sweet, feather light touch of passion.

"Kiss me, John," she urged him, her voice rich with love and desire.

Aeryn reached for the open zippered edges of his leather jacket and pulled him toward her. She molded her body to his, catching John's heartbeat with hers. He kissed her again, capturing her breath and entwining it with his own until they were both breathless and aching.

Slowly, they sank to their knees, still reveling in the heady intoxication of their kisses. John's hands moved to cradle Aeryn's face, his fingers twining in her raven hair. Aeryn slipped the leather vest from John's broad shoulders so that she could feel the heat of him. Then she wrapped her arms around him, one hand remaining between John's shoulder blades, and the other slipping up to the back of his neck.

Between caresses, John whispered in a fevered voice, "Oh, Baby, I love you… my star… my soul… my everything…"

Aeryn kissed him with tender abandon in response, drawing John further into her embrace. She smiled the rare bright smile that she only ever surrendered to him. "I love you, John. Forever…I love you," she offered up the words breathlessly.

With profound adoration, John intimately explored each plane and curve of Aeryn's body, and it felt like coming home for him. With every whispering caress, and each yearning kiss, John's body and soul committed the shape of her to his heart. And with each touch, he thanked the stars that had lead him to her.

For her part, Aeryn welcomed him back with a matching passion, having wanted to do so for so long that it had felt like she had been carrying a crushing weight on her heart that was only now lifting. She named him hers with her desire and entwined her pulse with his. And beneath the starlight, bathed in the warm glow of the scented candles, their two souls softly merged as they came together and embraced everything that they were ever meant to be from the moment they met.

"John," Aeryn said softly, a smile in her voice as her fingers played lightly above his heartbeat when they finally came to rest in each other's arms.

"Mmm?" John asked in a contented voice, his fingers occupied with one of his own favorite pastimes; playing with Aeryn's silky raven hair.

"You were right," she continued, her voice playful as she kissed his lips gently.

John silently questioned her with his warm blue eyes when they finally broke the lingering kiss.

"I do like picnics," she answered, her smile rich and full of mischief.

He couldn't help it, John laughed warmly as he was graced with one of his lover's rare, and ever so seductive smiles.

"I like that _you _like them," he replied, a mischievous smile on his own face.

"Kiss me, Aeryn."

"Always," she whispered, entwining her breath with his…

** Fin**


End file.
